To Do List
• Keep fruit and vegetable debris cleaned up to reduce bug populations.
• Fertilize the lawn after mowing to stimulate root growth. Remember to
always water thoroughly after fertilizing.
• Harvest pumpkins after the leaves are killed by frost.
• Dig and divide perennials including, but not limited to: bee balm, catmint,
daylilies, Hostas, and Shasta daisies. Replant immediately with a high phosphate fertilizer
and water well. Last chance this year to share lemon balm, strawberries, and
Penstemon plants with your friends and neighbors.
• Dig Begonia, Canna, and Dahlia tubers and Gladiolus corms for winter storage.
Do not let them freeze! Remove loose dirt and dry in the sun for several days.
Store Cannas and Dahlia in damp sand or peat. Store Begonia and Gladiolus in
shredded newspaper, dry sand, or vermiculite in a well-ventilated space at 40 to 50 degrees.
Check for disease and discard any that may be infected. If in doubt, lightly rinse in
a 10% bleach solution, dry thoroughly, and store in a separate container. Check
about every four to six weeks to make sure they aren't too damp and beginning to rot.
Many gardeners in warmer areas report that these corms and tubers can be left in
the ground and will return year after year. They are marginally hardy here,
surviving cold nights if the ground doesn't freeze. Experiment with some you won't
mind losing.
• Before a hard frost that kills your tender crops, pick green tomatoes and wrap
in newspaper. They will ripen slowly between now and Christmas. Take a few and try
a green tomato recipe, like fried green tomatoes.
• Save some leaves and flowers by pressing or drying them for winter crafts
and decorations.
Continue to:
• Clean flowerbeds as plants die back. Leave most perennials tall to protect from
frost through winter. Very hardy ones that leaf out early, like catmint
(Nepeta), can be cut back.
• Update your garden journal on what grew well, what you liked, and what you do not want to plant
next spring.
Garden Tip!!! A frost cover of spun polyester or plastic on cold nights will lengthen the season for
lettuce by as much as a month. Annuals for cutting can be prolonged in the same way.
Weather
The weather is becoming "fallish"- rather abruptly at times. October's highs fluctuate from the
upper 70's to the mid-60's on average, and the nighttime temperatures average from the high 40's down to
the 30's. The average date of the first freeze is October 29th although the record is October 8th. This event
is typically heralded in the newspaper and on television news. In the East Mountains, the average date of
the first freeze is around the first week of October.
Fall is a time of year when we realize how lucky we are to live in New Mexico. The last days
of Indian summer are couched between cool mornings and evenings. The air is crisp, but the first frost
lies ahead, and things are still blooming.
What's Blooming
The roses are enjoying a respite from summer's heat, and they bloom with renewed vigor.
Aster, Chrysanthemum, goldenrod
(Solidago), statice (Limonium), Zinnias and some Dahlias
continue to bloom. Saffron-bearing fall Crocus
(C. sativus) are a new addition.
Xeric Blooms
The hardier varieties give us a last hurrah, a beautiful burst of color, to say goodbye to summer
and welcome winter. These include Agastaches, Asters, Nepeta, chocolate flower, Rudbeckia,
Gaillardia, Salvias, and yarrow. Chinese pistache begins its showy fall color change. Hummingbird
trumpet (Zauschneria californica) blooms `til frost.
Everywhere you look there are wildflowers in bloom. The mesas are filled with purple Aster
and yellow chamisa (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), and the East Mountains are ablaze with sunflowers.
Garden Activities for October
By the end of the month, the first frost has come, and the garden is mostly gone. You probably
quit deadheading six weeks ago, and now the seed pods are all that remain. Before you go whacking
indiscriminately through the debris, take a moment to examine the colors and shapes in your garden.
Some plants should be cut back to the ground. But notice how lovely
the grasses are with their wispy seed heads ... the ghostly skeletons of the sea holly
and thistle ... the fullness of the un-clipped rose hips. These are the makings of
your winter garden; less obvious, but no less beautiful. In New Mexico, our eyes
are attuned to the beauty of subtle colors and textures that manifest in the absence
of abundance. The garden will not suffer if you save the final clipping for spring.
And the birds will delight in feasting on the seed heads all winter.
October is harvest time, and one of the more charming harvests is
pumpkins and gourds. Take a trip to the giant pumpkin patch in Moriarty and hand select
the perfect Jack-o-lantern. The vines are dead, but the pumpkins are a field of orange.
On the way home, take the scenic back road, State Highway 41. The shoulders on
both sides of the road are covered with sunflowers.
When you notice leaves beginning to turn color around town, make a trip
to any large, well-stocked nursery. Walk around and make note of plants with
beautiful fall foliage. Where could you use them in your yard?
The MASTER GARDENER HOTLINE closes up shop for the year on
October 31st. If you have any unanswered questions or problems, call before Halloween!
"SHARE THE PRODUCE" begins this month and continues through
October. Take any excess good quality produce to any of the Albuquerque area
ROWLAND NURSERIES. Produce is accepted Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to
2:00 PM, and is distributed through the "Storehouse" to those in need. Another
pick-up site for "Share the Produce" is RIO RANCHO GARDEN CENTER.
Watering.
• Don't water trees this month until after a hard frost; then water deeply.
• Cut back automatic watering systems and reset to come on later in the
day. Winterize if necessary by mid-month.
Planting.
• Plant hardy, container-grown trees, shrubs, and perennials.
• Plant seeds that should freeze: Alyssum, larkspur, poppies, gloriosa daisies, and Rudbeckia. Also
plant some forget-me-nots, primroses, snapdragons, and stocks.
• Plant spring-flowering bulbs, pansies, ornamental cole crops (kale, cabbage, etc.) now through
mid-November.
• In protected areas you can continue to plant cool season salad greens and radishes.
Pruning.
• Cut peonies down to about six inches from the ground and top dress with compost or manure.
Houseplants.
Bring in any houseplants that have been summering on the deck or patio. Put potted geraniums in a
warm, sunny spot and they will bloom all winter, providing color during the long winter months.
Around Town in October
Pack a picnic lunch - be sure to include some New Mexico apples - and take it up to the
mountains. The crowds are gone and the temperatures are perfect. Go for a hike. Enjoy the changing colors of
the aspens, usually around Balloon Fiesta time. Then find a sunny spot for a nap and take advantage of that
last bit of heaven before winter begins.
Take a trip to the Fourth of July Campground in the Manzano Mountains to see the fall color show
of New Mexico's native bigtooth maple, Acer
grandidentatum. This population of bigtooth maple turns
the hillsides shades of red, gold, and orange.
The annual HARVEST FAIR at the Albuquerque Garden Center is the first Friday and Saturday
in October. This event is hosted by the Council of Albuquerque Garden Clubs. Highlights include a plant
sale, (including a daylily sale); instructional demonstrations; displays; Master Gardeners to answer your
questions; gardening craft booths with dried everlasting wreaths, door
decorations, and more that you can purchase. Cider and food items will be available. Free
admission!
Ko Shari Garden Club offers a class in chile ristra making at the
Albuquerque Garden Center on the second Thursday in October, at 7:00 PM. Call the
Garden Center (296-6020) to ask what materials you need to bring.
PLANTS OF THE SOUTHWEST features a free speaker series each
fall (August to November). Local experts offer advice on a wide range of topics
including how to start and maintain a vegetable garden and how to handle "trouble spots"
in the garden. Call 344-8830 for details.
(book excerpt used by permission) | 
